Class 3 District 1-8 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Dexter 22-3-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Notre Dame 25-8-2</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Saxony Lutheran 17-13-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kennett 17-13-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Central New Madrid County</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Doniphan</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction</strong>: Dexter will sweep its way to the finals, while Notre Dame and Saxony will battle it for the final spot. Saxony has yet to take a set from Notre Dame. We get a little more drama in this matchup, but ND wins 3-1 despite [player_tooltip player_id='230387' first='Isabel' last='Brown']'s effort. Dexter and ND take the court for the finals, and I'm giving them the edge. Both teams have several opponents, but the one common that I'm looking at is the Saxony. While ND hasn't lost a set to Saxony, Saxony has a tie and a 1-3 loss to Dexter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='708439' first='Courtney' last='Tatum']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232326' first='Claudia' last='Jones']</strong> keep the youth for ND in check and help them take the 3-2 win over <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='170038' first='Kate' last='Nichols']</strong> and Dexter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Potosi 21-9-1</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Valle Catholic 20-6-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Ste Genenvieve 20-8-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills'] 14-16-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Perryville 9-15-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fredericktown 13-14-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Central gets past Perryville to move into <strong>Semifinal 1</strong> with Potosi. Potosi squeaked out a 5-set win over Central without its best all-time player. [player_tooltip player_id='170045' first='Ava' last='Robart'] leaves no doubt this time and sweeps Central for a district championship appearance. <strong>Semifinal 2</strong> is going to be a battle of Ste. Genevieve as the Dragons take on Valle in a Crosstown match. Valle beat Ste. Gen 2-3 earlier in the year and then Ste. Gen beat Valle in the MAAA conference. Valle has a legend as a coach and will use that to their advantage to take a 3-2 win to move to the finals against Potosi. <strong>Finals: </strong>When Potosibeat Valle 3-1, [player_tooltip player_id='170045' first='Ava' last='Robart'] finished with 28 kills, and [player_tooltip player_id='485570' first='Eden' last='Robart'] had 18. With a healthy [player_tooltip player_id='170045' first='Ava' last='Robart'], Potosi is my favorite to pull out the 3-1 win, giving it its first district title in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bayless 21-5-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Notre Dame STL 13-15-1</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Herculaneum 15-16-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Maplewood Richmond Heights 17-13-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hancock 7-10</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Gateway 6-10</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> It's not much of a district, but Bayless and Notre Dame will be finals. ND took a five-set win over Bayless a couple of weeks ago. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='737554' first='Gracianaelle' last='Ladouceur']</strong> put up a double-double with 17 kills and 12 blocks in the loss. ND got 26 kills from <strong>Gwen Keeven</strong>, giving her over 1000 for her career. This one will be another five-setter, with ND taking the win on better ball control.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cardinal Ritter 11-10-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Miller Career 9-6-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Rosati Kain 2-15</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Vashon 6-11-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>KIPP 1-16-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kairos 3-13</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> I have yet to learn about any of these teams, but as history shows, the winner will come from the Miller and Rosti semifinal win. Rosati takes the title because of their competition level over Cardinal Ritter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>MICDS 19-9</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Orchard Farm 12-9-2</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Villa 10-10</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Charles West 7-11</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>STEAM 13-5</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Jennings 8-12-3</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Normandy 1-11-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction</strong>: MICDS will face Villa in a battle since the last meeting was a five-set win for MICDS. If MICDS wants to win its first district title, it will need to get the ball to <strong>May Durill</strong> as often as possible, and <strong>Izzy Chao</strong> will need to have a bigger game than she did in the previous meeting. I'll take the Rams of MICDS to win this one in four.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Winfield 19-11-1</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mexico 12-10</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Veritas Academy 9-11-3</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fulton 10-17-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bowling Green 7-14-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wright City 3-21-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Winfield and Veritas just played to a 5-setter 20-18 Winfield win. This one will be more of the same. Winfield will take the trophy behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='542220' first='Marlie' last='Karsten']'s</strong> play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Southern Boone 17-5-1</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hallsville 14-12-4</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Blair Oaks 14-18</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Boonville 11-16</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kirksville 10-14</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Centralia 13-15</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> This will be difficult to figure out. Blair Oaks lost to Hallsville but beat Southern Boone, and Southern Boone beat Hallsville. Blair Oaks is the three-time defending Class 3 champion and only returns one from those championship teams. <strong>Mila Perez</strong> has a big game for Hallsville and ends BO's bid for a four-peat. Finals: Southern Boone has the Germann sisters, and they are a tough duo to stop. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='493013' first='Taylor' last='Germann']</strong> and <strong>Zoey Williams</strong> won't let their season end in the district finals again and pull out the 3-1 win over Hallsville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":1} --> <ol start="1" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Eldon 21-10-1</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Versailles 17-9</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Osage 15-8-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>California 12-14-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Warsaw 10-12-1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Clinton 4-24</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: Semifinal 1</strong> will pit the Pintos against the Mustangs. Eldon slipped past California in 4 close sets behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='236996' first='Corin' last='Davis']</strong> with 26 kills, and she will guide them to another 4 set win to move to the finals. <strong>Semifinal 2</strong> will be Versailles and Osage. Versailles won the regular season meeting in 5 15-12. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349615' first='Kylee' last='Richey']</strong> led Versailles with 23 kills, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732876' first='Avery' last='Sperling']</strong> led Osage with 18. Osage is a more balanced team and comes out with the 5-set win to move to the finals against Eldon. <strong>Finals:</strong> Eldon had little trouble with Osage in the previous meeting, sweeping the Indians. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='236995' first='Audrey' last='Dinwiddie']</strong> comes up clutch and gets a double-double to lead Eldon back into the state playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->